Rabat – The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified Morocco among Africa’s most import-dependent natural gas markets, warning that the country’s reliance on external supplies exposes it to international prices and infrastructure constraints.
The IEA’s “Global Gas Security Review 2026” groups Morocco with South Africa as two African countries that depend more heavily on imported gas, and contrasts them with Algeria and Nigeria, which meet most of their gas demand through domestic production.
The agency also explains that disruptions to international gas trade can affect markets far beyond the regions directly involved. Growing competition for liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes means supply shortages and price increases in one market can influence other importing countries.
The report estimates that global LNG supply will decline by around 3% in 2026, equivalent to almost 20 billion cubic meters, marking the largest annual decline on record. Disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, following the escalation of the Middle East conflict, have contributed to tighter supplies.
African natural gas demand, meanwhile, is expected to increase by around 5% this year. Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria account for more than 75% of the continent’s gas consumption, with electricity generation representing the largest source of demand.
Morocco is pursuing new gas infrastructure to diversify its energy supplies and reduce its dependence on imports. King Mohammed VI chaired on October 28 a meeting to review progress at Nador West Med and Tanger Med during which the Royal Cabinet outlined plans for Morocco’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Nador, with an annual capacity of five billion cubic meters. Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan inaugurated the port’s first container terminal on October 31, marking the start of its gradual entry into service.
Morocco currently imports gas through the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline in reverse flow, receiving shipments that LNG suppliers first deliver to Spanish terminals for regasification. The project follows the Energy Transition Ministry’s decision in February to postpone tenders for the terminal and connecting pipelines to account for revised project parameters.
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Meanwhile, Nigeria’s state-owned National Petroleum Company (NNPC) is seeking investors for the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, with an estimated cost of between $25 billion and $26 billion.
NNPC CEO Bashir Bayo Ojulari said the company is engaging potential investors, including Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), following an agreement signed in September by countries along the proposed route.
The project, jointly led by NNPC and Morocco’s National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), aims to transport more than 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually through 13 Atlantic coastal countries to Morocco.
NNPC plans to develop the pipeline in phases, initially extending existing infrastructure toward Sierra Leone before expanding to other countries. Ojulari said the approach would make use of existing infrastructure rather than build the entire network from scratch.
